Retractable board holder for printing presses



April 1968 c. J. MARSCHHAUSEN 3,380,598

PRESSES RETRACTABLE BOARD HOLDER FOR PRINTING Filed April 11, 1966 5 B INVENTOR.

CLAWZ/V .I NARSCHHAMSM/ ATTOR/V'YS United States Patent 3,380,598 RETRACTABLE BOARD HOLDER FOR PRINTING PRESSES Clayton J. Marschhausen, 4630 E. 43rd Terrace, North Kansas City, Mo. 64130 Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,760 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet board holder for the output section of a sheet printing press includes a pair of elevated structural angles supported by members permitting the angles to move between inner and outer positions for alternately supporting the board at the side edges thereof and permitting the board to drop past the angles onto a stack below.

This invention relates to printing presses and more particularly, to an improved board holder located at the output section of a sheet printing press for selectively supporting a board adapted to receive printed sheets in stacked condition thereon so that a stack of printed sheets therebeneath may be removed without interrupting press operation.

It has heretofore been suggested to provide holders for retaining a board in elevated position at the output section of a press to receive printed sheets during the interval when a paper holding truck is being removed and replaced. Such holders, however, were moved between holding and release positions by means of cumbersome and complicated mechanical linkages and it normally required the services of two press tenders to suspend and release a board.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide an improved board holder for receiving a stack of printed sheets at the output section of a sheet printing press; to provide such a board holder which may be operated by a single tender conveniently from a remote location; to provide such a board holder which is power operated, simple in design and requires a minimum of moving parts; to provide such board holding apparatus which may be operated extremely rapidly so as to drop the board evenly when desired; and to provide such board holding apparatus which is reliable in use and easily installed on existing presses.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic end elevation showing the output section of a sheet printing press of the type adapted to discharge printed sheets into a stack and illustrating apparatus embodying this invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the apparatus taken on the line 22, FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale particularly showing linkage mechanism thereon.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the apparatus taken on the line 3-3, FIG. 2, showing further details of the linkage mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a modified linkage mechanism embodying this invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the apparatus taken on the line 5-5, FIG. 4, showing details of the modified linkage.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 generally indicates the output section of a sheet printing press of the type adapted to discharge printed sheets into a stack 2 normally re- 3,380,598 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 ceived on a truck 3 for carrying the printed material away from the press. The sheets forming the stack 2 are normally received on boards 4 which may be used with spacers (not shown) to separate the stack 2 into sections of desired height to prevent undue pressure between freshly printed sheets which may cause unwanted ink transfer between the sheets. The printing press is normally set up for long runs and it is usually highly desirable for the press operation to be continuous during the entire run. Thus, apparatus must be provided for receiving printed sheets ejected by the pres-s during the time the truck 3 is removed from the press with the stack 2 thereon and replaced with an unloaded truck.

In accordance with this invention, the board holder may be easily moved between suspending and releasing positions by one man and comprises a pair of elevated elongated horizontally extending frame members 5 and 6 secured to the press output section by suspenders 7. The frame members 5 and 6 extend parallel to the direction of sheet movement but are respectively spaced outwardly of the lateral edges 8 and 9 of the stack 2. The frame members 5 and 6, in this example, are rectangular in cross sectional so as to provide sufiicient structural strength with a minimum of weight.

A pair of elongated elevated horizontally extending structural angles 10 and 11 are respectively located adjacent the frame members 5 and 6. The angles 10 and 11 are positioned parallel to each other and at the same elevation above ground level 12. The angles 10* and 11 each have a lower horizontal leg 13 directed toward a corresponding lower horizontal leg of the other angle and a vertical leg 14 positioned between the respective lower leg and frame member.

Supporting members 15 and 16 are horizontally spaced apart and respectively rigidly engaged with the vertical legs 14 and extend horizontally toward the respective frame members 5 and 6. The supporting members '15 and .16 are movably supported on the respective frame members by slidably extending therethrough for supporting the respective angles 10 and 11 in alternate inner positions 17 and outer positions 18 for alternately supporting a board 4 adjacent the side edges 19 and 20 thereof and permiting the board to drop downwardly past the angles 10 and 11 into the vertical path of the stack 2.

In the illustrated example, an air cylinder 21 is mounted on each of the frame members 5 and 6 by an angle support 22 and has a piston rod 23 movably extending therefrom. An air pressure line 24 is branched so as to connect to both of the air cylinders 21 and communicates with a source of air pressure 25. A suitable valve 26 is located in the line 24 in a convenient location for operation and controls the introduction of air under pressure into the air cylinders 21 simultaneously as well 'as the r simultaneous exhausting of the pressure therein through a suitable exhaust port 27. The free end 28 of the respective piston rods 23 is movably engaged with one leg 29 of a horizontal crank 30 pivotally connected intermediate the ends thereof to a rigid support 31 secured to the respective frame member 5 or 6. The other leg 32 of the crank 30 extends at substantially right angles to the leg 29 and is loosely pivotally secured to the respective supporting member 15 at the end opposite the connection with the vertical leg 14. A helical compression spring 33 surrounds the supporting members 15 and bears at one end thereof against the respective frame member 5 or 6 and at the other end against a suitable retainer 34 axially fixed on the member 15 at a position spaced outwardly from the frame member. An elongated compression link 35 is pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the leg 29 between the piston rod 23 and the point of pivotal connection with the 3 1 support 31 and at the other end thereof to the free end 36 of a leg 37 forming part of a crank 38. The crank 38 is pivotally mounted on a support 39 similar to the support 31 which permits pivotal motion of the crank 38 in a horizontal plane corresponding to the plane containing the crank 30. The crank 38 has a second leg 40 extending 'at substantially right angles to the leg 37 and loosely pivotally connected to the end 41 of the supporting member 16 corresponding in position to the connection of the leg 32 to the supporting member 15. A compression spring 42 surrounds the supporting member 16 and bears against the respective frame members and a retainer 43 in the manner of the compression spring 33. The link 35 is longitudinally adjustable in length so that the structural angles 10 and 11 extend parallel to the respective parallel frame members and 6. The proportions of the cranks 30 and 38 are such that the structural angles and 11 always remain parallel to each other and the frame members 5 and 6 regardless of the position taken thereby due to the rotation of the cranks.

In operation, the actuation of the valve 26 simultaneously directs air under pressure into the air cylinders 21 which cause the respective piston rods 23 to simultaneously rotate the cranks 30 and 38 causing the structural angles 10 and 11 to assume the inner positions 17 where they cooperate to provide support for a board 4. Upon insertion of the board 4 for support on the angles 10 and 11, printed sheets may be collected thereon while the stack 2 is removed from the output section of the press on the truck 2. Upon returning the emptied truck 3 into its normal position at the output section of the press, the valve 26 is again actuated permitting air to exhaust from the cylinders 21. The springs 33 and 42 which had been compressed upon movement of the structural angles to the positions 17 then cause the cranks 30 and 38 to rotate in the opposite direction quickly returning the angles 10 and 11 to the outer positions 18 whereupon the board 4 with the printed sheets thereon is dropped. This action of the springs 33 and 42 also urges the piston rod 23 back into the respective air cylinder in preparation for the next operation of the board holding mechanism. Thus, with the structure of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, single acting air cylinders only are required; however, the springs 33 may be dispensed with if double acting cylinders replace the cylinders 21. If desired, an electrically operated solenoid or the like may conveniently be used to replace the cylinder 21.

A second embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and differs from the form described above primarily in the use of spaced apart pairs of links 44 and 45 which are pivotally connected respectively to the frame members 46 and the structural angles 47 so as to always remain parallel while permitting the angles 47 to swing away from the respective frame member 46. The links 44 and 45 are positioned to always remain parallel and in a horizontal plane. A suitably remotely operable extensible member, in this example, a double acting cylinder 48 is pivotally connected 'at one end thereto to the frame member 46 at 49 and pivotally connected at the other or piston end 59 thereof to the pivotal connection 6 The actuation of the cylinders 48 cause the respective structural angles 47 to alternately assume a position 54 for supporting a board 4 and a position 55 which causes the board to be released for dropping downwardly. The cylinders 48 are connected together in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1 whereupon the introduction of air pressure into the respective hoses 56 and 57 cause pressure to be exerted simultaneously in both the cylinders 48 whereupon the angles 47 operate simultaneously from a remote location.

Although certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not to be limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with the output section of a sheet printing press of the type adapted to discharge printed sheets into a vertical stack, a holder for a sheet board comprising:

(a) a pair of elongated elevated horizontally extending frame members secured with respect to said press output section in spaced-apart parallel relation,

(b) a pair of elongated, elevated structural angles respectively associated with said frame members, said angles being positioned parallel to each other and at the same elevation above and alongside said stack, said angles each having a lower horizontal leg directed toward the lower leg of the other horizontal angle and a vertical leg between the respective lower leg and frame member,

(c) a pair of spaced-apart parallel horizontally extending links for each of said angles, said links being respectively pivotally connected to said vertical legs and to said frame members for horizontal pivoting and restrained against vertical pivoting, said links supporting said angles for horizontal swinging movement into inner and outer positions for alternately supporting said board at the side edges thereof above said stack and permitting said board to drop past said angles onto said stack,

(d) motive means anchored with respect to said frame members and having structure movably extending therefrom, means connecting said structure to one of said links for selectively swinging said angles between said inner and outer positions,

(e) power transmitting means connected to said motive means, a power source connected to said transmitting means, and remote control means associated with said power source for selectively simultaneously moving said angles between said inner and outer positions.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said motive means are cylinders and said power transmitting means are fluid pressure transmitting tubes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,851,972 4/1932 Blauvelt et al. 2l4-6 2,607,501 8/1952 Jeffrey 214-6 2,656,058 10/1953 Foote 21477 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

R. J. SPAR, Assistant Examiner. 

